By Abubakar Sadiq Isah
Three suspected kidnappers have been arrested at their hideout near Osara-Irepeni communities along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja highway.
One of the local hunters who carried out the operation told Daily Trust that there was an exchange of gunfire.
He said the hunters alongside the chairman of Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi, Joseph Samuel Omuya, stormed the forest based on a tip-off, late Wednesday.
The source said while combing the forest, the kidnappers opened fire and the hunters returned fire for fire.
“We immediately engaged them in shootout and three of the kidnappers were arrested,” he said.
According to him, some other gang members escaped with with bullets wounds while those arrested have been handed over to security operatives in Lokoja, the state capital.
The chairman of Adavi local government confirmed the arrest of three kidnappers, saying he led the operation.
He said the kidnappers were among the gangs that have been terrorising residents and travellers along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja highway.
“One of the kidnappers have confessed about their mode of operation, the nature of sophisticated weapons they use, and listed the names of other gang members,” he said.
The chairman, while commending the the local hunters for their efforts and determination in discharging their duties, urged villagers residing in the area to be security-conscious and provide useful information to the appropriate security agents.
The spokesman of the Kogi state police command, DSP Williams Ovye Aya, did not pick calls or reply text message sent over the incident.
